Wednesday’s Best Reviewed: American Crime

No surprises this mid-week as the finale of a regularly critically admired show is the highest scoring program of the night among online reviewers. American Crime‘s second season followed through where the first season trailed off — punctuating a more daring narrative with a satisfying close. The Gang from Philadelphia prefer to wrap up seasons by burning the whole place down — often literally — and the eleventh season’s finish sends the miscreants to a Sartre-esque hell, and again, it’s a palpable hit. Jerrod Carmichael’s first sitcom nabs decent reviews for its pilot. Broad City‘s rat-based Ilana rent party and Abbi Tinder-fest earns its usual praise, if eluding raves. The only dud is the underwhelming premiere of WGN America’s promising slave escape epic, Underground.

Kaleidoscopic crime anthology, aptly titled American Crime, found its stride in its second season, with a tale of confused sexuality and questioned accusations rocking a suburban high school, and its ending satisfied most comers, with only token disappointment. The shortcomings were mostly in the finales’ ambiguities. However, TV Fanatic‘s Samantha McAllister argues this was just as it should be: “I never wanted these stories to be wrapped up neatly with a bow because they were all incredibly intricate.” Vulture‘s Brian Tallerico demurs that the “blatant ambiguity in this finale is [not] entirely earned,” and Pilot Viruet of AV Club adds it “felt a little lacking.”